1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to level wind mechanisms for cable winches. In particular, the present invention relates to a cable tensioning and level wind mechanism for properly storing wire or nylon winch cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cable winches are a common part of our automotive culture. Off-road vehicles, recovery vehicles and tow trucks use cable winches regularly. Use of cable winches has become commonplace, but proper usage and cable storage procedures are less well known. Any kinks, binding or uneven winding can damage or seriously weaken the cable. Proper storage techniques must be followed to avoid damaging the cable. To maximize the life of a cable, the cable must be wound on the drum tightly. There must be no space between windings. Each layer must be completed before the next layer is started. Any space between windings may permit the overriding layer to fall down to the lower layer and become jammed or wedged between the lower windings. A cable jammed in such a manner is easily frayed, kinked and damaged.
Numerous devices have been developed to simplify the use of cable winches. These devices include various level-wind mechanisms to distribute winch cables evenly. However, these devices are needlessly complex and incapable of being retrofitted to existing cable winches. Some of these devices have bars or plates that ride against the cable and the cable drum to hold the cable down against the drum, to prevent the cable from coming loose. These bars or plates are biased against the drum with springs or similar mechanisms. The bars and plates do hold the cable against the drum, but they do not ensure that the cable is wound evenly and tightly on the drum.
Up until now, the choices of procedures for properly winding and tensioning a cable were quite limited. First, the cable is unwound from the winch. The end of the cable is secured to an immovable object, such as a utility pole, large rock or tree. The vehicle to which the winch is attached is backed away from the cable anchor point to place some tension on the cable. Next, the vehicle's brakes are applied to permit the vehicle to roll, but only if pulled or pushed with some effort. This is to ensure that tension is applied to the cable as it is wound onto the winch. Finally, the winch is turned on to wind the cable onto the winch drum against the resistance of the vehicle's brakes. The cable will have the proper tension as it is wound onto the winch, but this procedure alone will not evenly wind the cable onto the winch.
If the user wants to level wind the cable onto the winch, he must steer the vehicle slowly from side to side as the winch winds the cable. Generally this also requires a second person to guide the cable by hand.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for a simple, rugged level wind apparatus for a winch cable that is easy for one person to use and effectively and properly winds cables for storage on a cable drum.